Panem's Fall to the UNSC
by Alexander Raphel
Summary: Katniss has won the Hunger Games, alongside Peeta, and now must deal with the rebelion that is rising. But what she doesn't know is that the ones behind it aren't in District Thirteen, but in space. UNSC General SPARTAN-897 Christopher and Fleetmaster Voro'Niralhalee are looking to take down Panem and start up a new government, one run by the new UNSC-Sangheili Alliance.
1. Chapter 1

**Please note that I do not own any right to any content of the Hunger Games series or the Halo franchise. All that I own are the original characters and content.**

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With a sigh and a shake of her head, Katniss Everdeen pulled her arrow out of the body of the deer she had just shot and put in back in the quiver with the rest before slicing the creature's throat. The sudden gush of warm blood on her hand and the coppery smell attacking her nose suddenly brought back the memories of the horrors she had recently gone through in the Hunger Games, the lives that she had to take, the mutations that were the mutts, and the traps. When the flash back to the Games passed, Katniss gathered the carcass and carried it over towards the fence that separated District Twelve from the forest where she went hunting every day. Once she got there, she stowed her bow away into her usual place, slipped through the hole in the fence, then dragged the deer carcass through behind her.

Waiting on the other side of the fence was her longtime friend and hunting partner, Gale Hawthorn, several rabbits slung over his shoulder. With a smile and a chuckle, Gale approached Katniss and said, "It took you long enough. Are you sure you haven't lost your touch with the bow?"

Katniss rolled her eyes as she started hoisting the dead deer and headed off in the direction of the abandoned warehouse that was used at the District's black market. There, just about everything could be found, from alcohol (something that Haymitch needed restocked nearly every day) to fresh stew to medical herbs, and more. As she walked in, Katniss waved hello to the vendors that she knew, pausing to occasionally chat with the occasional friendly face, as she made her way to the newest place. It was a simple butchering station, with a sterile white table and neat rows of sharp knives, a sign with a list of the prices for the different cuts of meats, and scale to weigh the meats that were brought in.

Standing behind the table was the owner of the table, a tall man by the name of Christopher. His hair, always cut short, was brown, and when Katniss was able to catch a glimpse of his eyes on those rare times he made eye contact she noticed that they were green, blue, or a mix, changing every once in a while. Looking up from the cut of meat that he was wrapping up, Christopher smiled as he said, "Ah, Ms. Everdeen. I see that you have brought me quite a treat today."

"Fresh venison, shot down not even an hour ago," Katniss said as she waved to another vendor, "and you can have it for the usual price."

"Still can't talk you into accepting that discount I offered you, can I?" Christopher asked as he opened up a metal container that held his earnings, counting out an amount and handing it to Katniss.

Katniss shook her head as she heaved the carcass onto the table, noticing that it was still the same pure white as the day that he opened up his stall despite the amount of animal (and sometimes human) blood that was spilled upon it daily. It was then that she noticed a small shape at Christopher's waist, and a larger one on his back, both of them hidden under his shirt… and she realized that they were both guns. Wondering what a butcher needed guns for, Katniss stepped back and watched the man as he started working on carving up the deer and separating out the different cuts that he would keep to sell and the ones that Katniss was going to take for her, wrapping up those ones for her in the usual stock of white paper.

"Here you go, Ms. Everdeen. Have a nice day," Christopher said with a smile as he handed a bag with the wrapped up cuts of meat in it.

"Thank you, and you, too," Katniss said automatically as she walked away, her mind still focused upon the weapons that she had noticed Christopher had.

Christopher watched as the Girl on Fire walked away, then put up a CLOSED sign, picked up the fresh venison, and walked into the back room, where a Sangheili wearing elaborate blue robes with silver trimming and a blood stained apron was wielding a cleaver and was chopping a cow into the steaks that would be sold by the pound.

"Niral, we have a bit of a situation, here," Christopher said as he set the cuts of venison down on the table where Voro'Niralhalee was working.

"What is this situation, General?" Niralhalee asked, starting to work on the meat that he would put into the grinder.

"Our cover here may be at jeopardy. I think that Subject Delta has identified something to arouse suspicions," Christopher said as he walked over to the freezer and entered a code into the keypad, then walked into the back just to come back out with a safe that was a good foot and a half taller than him.

"She saw the weapons, didn't she?" Niralhalee asked as he started preparing the packaging for the beef, shaking his head at some inner thoughts.

Christopher sighed as he opened the safe and pulled out a radio, turning it on as he said, "_Truth's Demise_, this Red Leader. We have situation yellow. Initiate mission protocol Alpha Delta Nine Nine Eight."

"Roger that. Protocol AD998 enacted. Will be active within 0042 hours. Any other orders, sir?" came the response.

"Hold position, inform the fleet, and prepare for further orders. That is all. Red Leader, out," Christopher said, before turning around to face the Sangheili Fleetmaster and said, "Well, it looks like we might get the chance to fight after all, then."

With a wicked grin that revealed one of his mandibles was missing, a scar from the war against the Flood on Halo Ring Gamma, Niralhalee pulled out from under his counter the first component of his armor, then said, "Then let us fight side by side once more, Demon,"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Christopher responded as he put on the helmet of his MJOLNIR helmet, the lighting of the back room reflecting off of the copper color of the armor and the golden faceplate.

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**So, what do you think of the first chapter of my fic? Please review and tell me what you think, what could be changed, and such. Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Please note that I do not own any right to any content of the Hunger Games series or the Halo franchise. All that I own are the original characters and content.**

**And as a side note, I would like to apologize for the delay. Writer's Block plus babysitting my little sister plus other distractions (like World of Warcraft and a new phone) have been keeping me away from my writing, and then my typing.**

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Walking back to her house in the Victor's Village, Katniss thought about what she had discovered about the new vendor, and what it could possibly mean for her. Had Snow sent someone to spy on her? Or perhaps sent an assassin in fear of her? Whatever it was, she knew that nothing good could come from it.

Waving farewell to Gale, Katniss opened the door to the house to see her mother talking with two Peace Keepers in their stark, white uniforms. One of them turned upon hearing the door close and said, "Katniss Everdeen, we are here under direct orders from President Snow to search for any signs of this being. Have you seen it?"

Taking the paper the Peace Keeper held out to her, Katniss examined the picture of the strange creature. It had an elongated head and mandibles, its body very strange looking. Shaking her head, Katniss handed the paper back and said, No, sorry. I can't help you."

"Thank you for your time and hospitality. Have a good day," The Peace Keeper said before he and his partner left the house.

Once they were gone, Katniss turned to her other and asked, "What was that about?"

"It appears that some strange creature has been going around starting trouble for Peace Keepers in the Districts," Katniss' mother replied, pulling down one of the many pots and filling it with some water.

Katniss nodded as she stored away the venison for safe keeping, then proceeded to wash up in preparation to help cook the meal for that evening when there came a knocking from the front door, and Primrose called down, "I'll get it!" as she came running down the stairs and into the front hallway. When she suddenly called out, "Katniss, it's for you," a note of confusion and fear in her voice, Katniss set down the vegetables she bad been cutting to walk into the hallway, wondering who could be visiting this close to dinner. When she joined her sister in the hallway, it was to find that standing in the doorway was none other than President Snow, the man in charge of Panem. He smiled warmly at Katniss, his teeth too perfect and shining, as he asked, "Would it be alright if I came in?"

Nodding wordlessly, Katniss stepped aside to allow the President past her and into her home. At the same time she wondered, _Why is he asking? He knows he could just walk in, as he is the President._

"You are probably wondering what I am doing here," Snow stated as he removed his gloves, slipping them into his pocket, "And the answer to that, Ms. Everdeen, is that I am check in on you and Mr. Mellark, seeing how the two of you have been doing since the Games and your tour."

Katniss watched Snow carefully, watching his every move for any sign of what was going through the man's mind while leading him upstairs and to the study, where they would be free to talk without interruption. She noticed that her mother and Prim had had the foresight to send up a tray with tea and cookies, the latter fresh baked ones from Peeta's family's bakery. Snow took a seat behind the desk and poured two cups of tea, passing one over to Katniss before taking a sip of his own.

"So, you're here to check up on me and Peeta, then?" Katniss asked as she crossed her arms and started Snow in the eyes, doing her best to hold back her defiance and hatred of the man.

"Indeed. I want to make sure that the two of you are still planning on following through with your wedding plans, what with the new round of games coming up soon," Snow said, hinting at what they had discussed the last time he had visited.

"Yes, the plans are set, and Cinna and I are working together on the designs for my dress," Katniss answered as she loosened her arms enough to take a sip from her cup, setting it back down on the desk before going back to crossing her arms and starting at the President.

Snow nodded as he sipped more of his teas, his eyes never once straying from Katniss. He just started at her, his face never once showing any sign of the thoughts going through his mind, never fluxuating from his stoic look of calculating calm. He sat sipping his tea, occasionally taking a bit of one of the cookies from the plate between him and Katniss. When finally Snow spoke again, he continued to keep his face an emotionless mask.

"I know of your association with this new butcher, and I must inform you that he is a threat to Panem. If you continue to be friendly with him then he will undoubtedly draw you into his plans," Snow said as he set his cup of tea down.

"How do you know that he is a threat?" Katniss asked, resisting the urge to start yelling at the man.

"Because he has been sighted in the presence of a strange being that we believe to be an alien of sorts. It has been going around destroying buildings, crops, and even murdering innocent people," Snow calmly replied, placing multiple pictures of Christopher with the same creature that the Peace Keepers had shown her. The rest were the "alien" and a tall figure in what appeared to be bulking copper armor, a plate of reflective gold where she assumed the face was.

"And what of this larger figure?" Katniss asked, pointing to the copper-clad person.

"We believe it to be another kind of alien," Snow simply stated.

"Well, I thank you for your warnings, but I think that I will do as I please in my personal life," Katniss said as she stood up, placing her hands on her hips. "I would appreciate a little control over my life, and to be allowed my privacy."

Snow stood up, placing his hands down upon the desk, and started Katniss down, a clear attempt at intimidating her as evident as the white rose against the black coat he wore. He then stood back and clasped his hands behind his back, saying, "My dear girl, you have no more privacy. You are the Girl of Fire, loved by all. Get used to a far from private life." And with that, Snow left the study, leaving Katniss alone with her thoughts. With a look on her face that matched the shock she was feeling, Katniss fell back into the chair and put her face into her hands, silent sobs wracking her body. She didn't know how long she sat there, or when Prim came in to sit with her, but when Katniss finally came back to her surroundings she noticed it was dark outside, and the lights in the house had been turned on.

And that someone else had also joined them.

"Snow pay a visit to you, too?" Peeta asked as he kneeled down beside Katniss, taking a hold of her hand to attempt to calm her.

Katniss nodded as she reached up and wiped away the tears that had sprung from her eyes some point during the silent obs. Then, with the realization of how long she had been sitting there, Katniss stood up and walked out of the study, going down the stairs and into the family room. There, she sat down and said, "We are constantly being watched, Peeta. Every day, wherever we go, Snow has eyes on us at all time."

Peeta nodded as he sat down beside Katniss, still doing his best to help keep her calm, while motioning for Prim to leave the two of them alone so that they could talk. When she was out of the rom, Peeta pulled a small, glowing sphere out of his pocked and pressed a button on it, the pale blue glow of the strange orb suddenly intensifying, filling the room for but a brief moment. And when Katniss looked at the table she saw a small, blue figure that just looked like the one Snow had showed her, the one that was helping the "alien".

"Have to keep this brief, Ms. Everdeen. The EMP will only keep Snow's equipment out for five minutes," the figure said in a familiar voice that she just couldn't place.

"What is going on here?" Katniss demanded, hand on her hips again.

"I am Brigadier General Christopher-897 of the United Nations Space Command Marines, one of the few SPARTAN II third generation super soldiers. I have come to Panem in the hope of putting an end to the Hunger Games and starting a new government, one where the people actually vote for their president and have a say in how things are run. My mission is one set by the Office of Naval Intelligence, to be completed with the assistance of the locals in the form of a rebellion."

"So you want to see a repeat of what happened about seventy-five years ago? You are trying to get another of our districts destroyed?" Katniss demanded of the figure, her face red with anger, "What right do you have in choosing our fate!?"

"On the contrary, we want to destroy the Capital. Burn it down to nothing, and then destroy the borders. Put the United States of America back to the way it used to be," the armor-clad figure replied, an Irish accent mixed with an unfamiliar accent reminding Katniss of someone, but unable to be placed. "We of the UNSC have plans for reinstating a Democracy for the people, of the people, by the people, and at the same time wipe out those few pockets of Capital resistance and restoring things to their natural order.

"In our arsenal, we have Covenant technology to glass anything that stands in our way, blasting the land with super-heated plasma that will boil the land and just about literally turn it into glass. We also have a full army of well-trained troops, advanced technology, and superior weapons that will allow us to properly get past the Capital defenses so that we can start fresh here. And finally, the one thing that we are hoping that we have is the support of a local, someone that everyone can look up to. And you, the one that everyone is calling the Girl on Fire, are the perfect person to be that image."

Stunned and shocked, Katniss stared at the image of the man, taking in the information that he was giving her while still trying to place why his voice sounded so familiar. And when it finally hit her, she gasped and said, "Christopher, the new butcher, turns out to be an alien here to wipe us all out and take over. Great!"

"On the contrary, dear Katniss. I am Human, just biochemically enhanced to be a super soldier. Niral here is the alien," Christopher replied, motioning to the large alien figure that appeared next to him. "And, as I said, we are here to set things the way they should be, the way they have always been. And the way that they are in the text books."

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**Well, here is chapter two. Again, sorry for the delays. R&R, please! Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Please note that I do not own any right to any content of the Hunger Games series or the Halo franchise. All that I own are the original characters and content.**

**I would also like to apologize to those of you that have been waiting upon this next chapter for the long expanse of time between posting. I have been having writer's block for this story for a while, and only now while my sister and Mom were out of state have I been able to get any writing done.**

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****Christopher sighed as the timer on his Heads-Up Display (HUD) warned him he was running out of time to explain the situation. Shaking his head, the SPARTAN-IV pulled up a purging program to eliminate all traces of his communication with the Girl on Fire as he said, "I'm running short on time. If you want to know more, meet me at the forest's edge by the fence tomorrow evening. We will be able to talk there."

Nodding at Niralhalee, Christopher cut the connection with the holo projector and released the virus. He then removed his helmet with a sigh and walked over to the armory, grabbing an MA5B assault rifle with ten magazines of standard armor piercing rounds and three mags of incendiary, along with a Sniper Rifle System 99-S5 Anti-Material with fifteen mags of explosive rounds. Christopher then moved over to the sidearms and picked up two Type-25 Directed Energy Weapons, holstering them at his side, along with his customized Type-1 Energy Weapons, attaching them to the arms of his armor.

"Going a bit overboard on this one, General?" Niralhalee asked as he walked out with a single T-1 EW, a Type-51 Carbine, and one T-25 DEW.

"I just want to get this over with," Christopher replied as he picked up several plasma and fragmentation grenades, storing them in concealed pockets on his armor before walking over and picking up a Type-2 Energy Weapon/Hammer with the words 'BAN HAMMAH' etched onto the handle.

Niralhalee shook his head as he secured his plasma cartridges to his armor, going back to add a couple of grenades alongside them. Once he had secured his gear the Sangheili warrior stalked out of the room and into the hanger bay, where he looked between the different vehicles that were stored there: a Type-52 Troop Carrier (Phantom), GA-TL1 Longsword-Class Interceptor, Jiralhanae Prowler, M12 LRV Warthog, M8D8B Scorpion MBT, and Type-31 Exoatmospheric Multi-role Fighter (Seraph). Trying to decide which would be the best choice for the their assault upon a Capital weapons facility in District Two, Niralhalee approached each vehicle in turning, sighing while going over the mission protocols as proposed by Christopher.

"Such a destructive plan the Demon has," the Sangheili muttered, right away dismissing the Warthog, Scorpion and Prowler, as there was no getting to the District by land.

As Niralhalee approached the Longsword and Seraph he noticed that the human fighter had a lot of battle scaring and several patches in the armor plating and cockpit. Sighing that he wouldn't have the chance to test the mini Magnetic Accelerator Cannon (MAC) tat was installed on the Longsword, and that the repairs that he would have to do later, he shook his head and walked on. Finally approaching the Seraph, the Sangheili nodded as he saw that the battle scaring upon the vehicle was minimal and all the weapons were fully functional.

Starting on the necessary steps to prepare the fighter for the raid, Niralhalee brought a munitions crate out and started arming the ship with the basics that would be needed for the assault upon the newest weapons facility they had discovered in District Two. He installed an upgraded fuel rod cannon with a rapid fire setting, twin plasma turrets and a smaller version of the cannon used on Covenant destroyers to glass planets.

As he was finishing the instillation of the largest weapon on the Seraph the doors to the hanger bay opened and closed as the Spartan walked in. Niralhalee ignored the man as he finished his work on installing the weapon, the plasma torch welding shut a hatch that led to a control pannel. When finally he turned around it was to see a copper fist flying at his face.

"What are you doing!?" the Sangheili warrior exclaimed as he stepped back, easily avoiding the slow fist-

_'Wait, slow?'_ ran through his mind as he stepped back to avoid another sluggish swing, followed by another. _'This is not right, he's normally much faster than this.'_

"Niral, help me!" Christopher said as he swung in an uppercut at the same time as another fist went for the Sangheili's gut.

"What is happening to you, Demon?" Niralhalee demanded as he blocked the fist to his gut while nimbly dodging the uppercut.

"My system has been hacked, and Epsilon is having a hard time locating the virus that caused it. I'm lucky she was even able to get me speaking," the human replied as he jumped back, one of his sidearms in his hand and aimed at the Sangheili's head.

Cursing as a burst of plasma erupted from the small hand-held weapon, Niralhalee dipped into a quick roll to avoid the super-heated blasts while running to the M8D8B MBT Scorpion with the thought of using it to slow down the Spartan. However, just as he was about to reach it he felt the impact of a high calibur round in the small of his back.

"That's it, Pagos! Purge his system!" Niralhalee called out as he dipped into a roll to avoid a second round from the Spartan's sniper rifle, leveling his one T-51 Carbine and firing off five rounds to take out the shielding on the armor and lock it at the knees.

"Running portocol 593-87-Alpha-Delta-9863," came a female voice from the warehouse's intercom system as a barrier fell around the prone super soldier, "Confirmation Prompt required from Brigadier General Sierra-897 to commence MJOLNIR Mark-VIII system purge."

"Just do it, Pagos!" Christopher exclaimed, his body struggling to rise.

"Is that any way to talk to the AI based off of your mother?" Pagos asked with mock sternness, her voice echoing around the hanger.

Sighing, Christopher allowed himself to relax at the AI's flippant remark as his HUD went dark, the entire armor system shutting down. When it was finished with the process, a single message scrolled across his screen: 'MAY THE ODDS EVER BE IN YOUR FAVOR'.

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**Well, here is chapter three. Again, I am truly sorry for the delays. R&R, please! Thank you!**


	4. Review Response Time!

To all of my readers:

I just want to take the time to thank you all for taking the time to read my fic and to post reviews. I am taking the time tonight (as it's half past ten in the evening) to respond to reviews and questions. Also, you are all welcome to PM me with any suggestions and/or offer up any OCs for me to add in!

First, I would like to tackle the most recent bother to you all, the hacking of Brigadier General S-897 Christopher's armor. After doing some quick research, I discovered that it is indeed possible for someone to hack into the MJOLNIR system, for there is no system in the armor itself that prevent hacking from outside sources. The only reason that I can see for them not getting hacked is if they have an AI that can block the hacking, like a "Smart" AI or a "Dumb" AI programmed for anti-hacking purposes. As Epsilon is a "Dumb" AI designed solely for combat purposes (Pagos being the "Smart" AI), his armor was easily hacked. But, due to Epsilon having at least some basic counter measures, she was at least able to prevent the Capitol from using the full power of the suit. Hence the slower speed.

Next, in response to SPARTAN-264's question: No, she will not. There have been no developments to take those without the genes and give them the biochemical enhancements necessary to become a SPARTAN super soldier. Sorry if I just squashed your dreams.

Big Willy... Perhaps. That part is still in development, and even when I have it all figured out then it will only be revealed once I decide that it will be. Top secret, eyes only.

Finally, I am going to answer McKnight's question for all to see: that is quite a concern that you have, and my response is that he is of a later portion of the SPARTAN II program, one that was trained with the Marines and ODSTs. These SPARTANs were allowed to that rank, but only to Brigadier General. I'm just shortening it up, and now regretting doing so. But he does still go out into the battlefield, and is not one to just sit behind a desk. He's a field commander that likes to take a hand-on approach. I thank you for your concern, though. I can see where they come from, and thank you for your input.

So, once again, I thank you all for your support and for reading my fic! I hope that you continue to do so! And now, because I can say this... May the Force be with you.

Your friendly author, Alexander Raphel


	5. Chapter 5

**Please note that I do not own any right to any content of the Hunger Games series or the Halo franchise. All that I own are the original characters and content.**

**And I would like to apologize for the delay. I have been having difficulties with coming up with anything to write until I finally took some time to just sit down the past weekend and got some writing time in. Now I present to you chapter four, at long last!**

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Somewhere in the Capitol, hidden underground and protected with advanced screening procedures and security systems, was the Hunger Games Control Center. Normally the Control Center would be empty besides maintenance crew, for the Games were not supposed to start for a couple of months. But today there were three men sitting at their stations and typing away at their computers, each of them running different programs.

Suddenly one of them cursed and slammed his fist on the desk, muttering under his breath. Seeing the man's burst of anger, Plutarch Heavensbee, the Head Gamemaker for the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games, walked over and asked, "What seems to be the problem, here?"

"Well, I had control of the aliens when it attempted contact with Katniss Everdeen, but I suddenly lost it. I got one last message out before this appeared on my screen," the man explained as he weaved towards the computer console. When Plutarch looked at the screen he saw that it had gone black, with a white icon. The icon was of an eagle with its wings spread and raised above a planet that was gripped in its talons, the letters UNSC on a scroll going across the globe. As he examined the icon he noticed that it got smaller and moved to the upper right-hand corner as text started scrolling up the screen.

"What is going on?" Plutarch demanded, taking a step back from the station.

"Sir, my screen just went dark and has text scrolling up," another of the men said, followed by the third confirming that the same was happening with him.

Continuing to watch the text, Plutarch noticed key words at points and finally realized what was going on. Rushing towards the emergency phone that connected directly to President Snow, the Gmemaker started thinking about what this would mean for the Quarter Quell and what Snow was going to say to do in response to this threat.

"This is the UNSC "Smart" Artificial Intelligence unit 56-339, Pagos," said a female voice over the intercom system in the room, "By attempting to interfere with the plans of the joint UNSC-Covenant Separatists, and attempting to take control of the armor of a SPARTAN super soldier, you have just declared an all-out war. Be warned, you will not win."

Stunned at the message he had just received, Plutarch watched as the three monitors that were in use suddenly blew up at the same time as the red emergency phone.

"This is not good," Plutarch muttered, standing at the remains of the emergency phone.

President Snow was sitting at his desk going over the latest report on the damages being caused by the aliens, and the costs of repairing everything and painting over the graffiti that the man working with the aliens was putting up all over Panem, when a woman with lime green hair and dress, with matching feathers on her back, walked into the office. The woman stuttered and stammered slightly as she stood in the doorway, a manila folder clutched in her hands, her eyes jumping around the room and never settling in one place.

"Is there a problem, Marie?" President Snow asked as he set down the report to look at his secretary.

"Sir, I just got a message from Plutarch down in the Command Center, and, well…" the woman said as she walked up to the President's desk and held out the folder to him, "And I think that you may want to see what he had to say, and that he shared with me."

Snow took the folder from the secretary and opened it, his eyes right away going wide when he saw that right there on the first page was the same symbol that was being painted all across Panem, the same globe and eagle, but with the addition of the letters UNSC. The next three pages was nothing but command prompt for computers, commands for extracting and copying files, purging data, and a virus inserted into the system to destroy any active and emergency mainframe. The final page described the voice that had spoken over the intercom and the message that had been delivered, ending in a report on the damages caused to three computers and the emergency phone.

"It has begun, then," Snow said as he set down the papers and looked up at his young secretary, "Please inform the board that they are to meet in chamber fifteen at five tomorrow evening."

The woman nodded as she backed out of the office, right away reaching for the phone on her desk to make the calls necessary. And as she was leaving, Snow picked up a phone hidden under his desk and allowed it to ring for several minutes, until finally someone answered and he said, "It is time."

Back in the hanger bay hidden deep underneath District Twelve, Fleetmaster Voro'Niralhalee was working on finishing up the repairs on the Longsword interceptor when Pagos appeared behind him and said, "Christopher is about to leave to meet with the Girl on Fire, and is wondering if you need him to pick anything up."

Niralhalee nodded as he looked over his shoulder at the hologram, setting down the plasma torch he had just been using to weld over some patches in the Longsword's armor, and said, "Yeah, we are running low on milk, just about out of salt, and we could use some more bread."

"Anything else for the shopping lest?" Pagos asked as a piece of paper appeared in her hand with a giggle.

"Nothing that I can think of off the top of my head," Niralhalee said as he turned and jumped on top of the Longsword and lifted the plate of glass from the cockpit, using the holes in the glass to his advantage, and tossed it to the ground, shattering it entirely.

"See you when we get back, then," Pagos giggled as she vanished, leaving he Sangheili Fleetmaster to finish the repairs on the interceptor, sliding the new glass pane into place then welding it there, pressure sealing it to be able to withstand the pressure and vacuum of space without the pilot dying. He then moved to work on patching up the rest of the holes in the armor of the ship, welding plates over the breeches in the hull and sealing minor vents with his plasma torch. Once that was finished, he jumped down from the Longsword and gave it a thorough inspection before moving onto the M808B Scorpion MBT to start the minor repairs that it needed.

"Why did the Demon have to leave me with all the damned repairs?" the Sangheili sighed as he patched up a minor hole in the tank's armor, "Why is it that he always gets to be the one to meet with the new allies while I get left behind to clean up the mess of him ruining those meetings?"

"Because normally I'm the one that ruins those meetings with my itchy trigger finger…" came the ashamed response over Niralhalee's helmet's COM speakers as Epsilon, the AI that was usually in the armor of the Spartan, spoke up.

Niralhalee rolled his eyes as he moved from the Scorpion MBT over to the Type-52 Troop Carrier to inspect it for any scaring or damage, checking off different key areas on his HUD as he went around, over and under the ship that the humans called Phantoms. The Sangheili Fleetmaster chuckled at the fitting title for the dropship that had for so long struck feat into humans, and might do so again. And his thoughts continued upon this path until a beeping from the radio in the office reached him, drawing a sigh from his mandibles as he placed his plasma torch on a work bench and picked up the receiver and held it up to his head, saying, "This is Delta Leader. Report."

"Delta Leader, this is Shipmaster Trilo'Banam on the _Forlorn Truth_," came the response in the tongue of the Sangheili, "The fleet is armed and ready to respond to situation yellow."

"Things have changed, Shipmaster. We are now proceeding directly to Phase Theta if Red Leader's meeting with Subject Gamma goes well," the Fleetmaster said, "There was a situation that has caused us to advance our preparations and plans."

"Understood, sir. What are our orders?"

Here Niralhalee paused to think over what should be done. If he ordered an early strike then he could ruin everything that he and the Demon had worked towards, but if he didn't then that would leave them with the prospect of not throwing the first punch in the coming war. But as soon as that thought entered his mind he shook his head to shake away the influence of Epsilon.

"The fleet is to standby and await further orders. Red Leader should return within an hour or so with a report and orders," Niralhalee said, clicking his mandibles.

"Understood. _Forlorn Truth_, out," came the final response before the Com went dead.

"And so the war is soon to begin…" Niralhalee said with a grin, anxious for real combat once more.

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**So, there is chapter four. R&R please. Thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Please note that I do not own any right to any content of the Hunger Games series or the Halo franchise. All that I own are the original characters and content.  
****I would like to apologize for the delay in posting chapter five. Writer's Block, babysitting my little sister, and not to mention my laptop being confiscated when I finally have it all written up and ready for posting have been great hinderences. But now onto the chapter!**

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Katniss paced back and forth in front of the fance seperating the Distract from the land outside, muttering about the cold and how Christopher was running late to a meeting that he had set the time for himself. She shook her head as yet another hour ticked away, and her patience got shorter, when finally she spotted a human figure walking towards her.

Katniss paused in her pacing and started towards the figure when they seemed to stop and pulled something out of their pocket and rolled it out a couple feet. It suddenly started giving off a bright blue light that blinded Katniss for a minute, and when it cleared she saw that a blue dome that was partially transparent was stretching out to a couple feet in front of her, and right behind the figure that was tapping their foot.

Tentatively approaching the strange dome, Katniss reached a hand out towards it and yelled out when her hand passed right through, earning a chuckle from the figure on the other side of the dome. The Girl on Fire gathered her courage and walked through and towards the figure, seeing that it was indeed Christopher finally arriving to speak with her about what he was doing in Panem... only he looked stressed out.

"You look as though you have seen better days," Katniss said as she crossed her arms and studied the man before her.

"Yeagh, I think you'd look the same if you had your armor hacked into and used as a weapon against your ally and equipment," Christopher replied, his unusual accent flowing rapidly from his lips, "I'm damned lucky to have even been able to make this meeting, with how long it took Pagos to wipe the virus from my armor, and then to get the HUD and neural interface working properly."

Katniss stared at the man in astonishment , lost and confused at his words, and her face showed that confusion plainly. She stammered for a moment, attempting to make sense of what she had just beentold, but only bit and pieces seemed to make any sense to her. Seeing her confusion, Christopher chuckled and was just opening his mouth, likely to explain what he had just said, when a woman appeared next to him, her hair glowing in the light from the dome over head, her gown billowing with the slight wind. She looked to be in her forties or fifties, yet at the same time in the prime of her youth.

"What my son means is that there were complications in the previous day that put back our plans and at the same time sped them up," the woman said as she placed a hand upon Christopher's shoulder.

This seemed to confuse Katniss even more, as she suddenly blurted out, "Your son?"

"Let me clarify that for you," Christiopher said, shooting a quick glare at the woman, "Pagos here is an Artificial Inteligence unit who was made using tissue from my mother's brain. Normally a process that requires the brain of someone deceased, but through flash cloning, a living brain was used to make a 'smarter' AI."

Katniss nodded as she listened to Christopher, vaguely understanding but noty knowing what he was talking about at the same time. She scratched the back of her head as she looked ebtween the two, her mind going over ways of letting them know her confusion without annoying them with her pestering for more information. But at the same time, she was anxious to get to the reason that they had agreed to meet And as she continued to look between them it seemed as though they realized her confusion and they decided to help her with it.

"AIs are, in essence, computer programs taht are designed to do specific tasks or, in the case of 'smart' AIs, several tasks at once," Pagos said as she stepped up to the young woman and placed a hand upon her shoulder, "Being a 'smart' AI, I caqn do manty advanced things such as hack into the most sopiscated security systems while at the same time running the systems of a Hylacon Class Cruiser."

"I think I understand no9w," Katniss said as she looked between the two withinthe dome with her, "Now I just want to know about this strange dome thing."

"Well, this is a-" Christoher started, just to get interrupted by Pagos holding up a hand.

"You'd best just let me explain, Chris," Pagos said with a giggle, "This dome is preventing the Capitol from spying on us and hearing our conversation."

Katniss nodded in uynderstanding as she moved over twoards a rock by the fence and sat down on it, watching the two carefully as she had with Snow during his visit to her, hoping to see any sign of the thoughts that they had running through their minds. Christopher was easy to read, with his face showing exhaustion, but with a solid determinatioln underneath it, and his eyes seemed to burn with an inner fire. But Pagos, she was impossible. Her features were gentle and locked into a caring smile, but for all Katniss knew that was just something she put on to hide her thoughts. And then there were her eyes, which seemed to literally glow and had numbers lining the pupil as the iris, so many numbers in an endless procession, so miniscule.

She continued to watch the two as Christopher talked with Pagos, both of them very animated in their heated discussion. Christopher seemed to be arguing with her, on the verge of yelling if his body language was anything to judge by, and he seemed to be get angrier with every word that Pagos said until he finally stormed away from the woman and over towards Katniss, his entire ebing radiating pure rage and anger and his face contorted into a grimace of anger. He seemed to glare at Katniss for nearly a minute when he finally seemed to relax, his face settling into a look of stoic calm, his eyes filled with his thoughts of what he was about to say. He seemed to be lost in thought for nearly half an hour when he finally spoke, his voice quivering slightly.

"Katniss Everdeen, the Panem that you know is not the way that it should be," Christopher said as he pulled out a small device and pressed one of the multiple buttons that covered it. As he stored away the device an image of a strange, worm-like being appeared in the air between her and Christopher, resting in an odd semi-spherical object and a large crown resting upon its head, and its beady eyes gleamed in the glow of the blue dome. Text floated in front of the creature's throne, the words there very much unfamiliar and alien to her.

"San'Shyuum," Pagos said as she gestured to the creature, "A Hierarch of the Covenant, whom we were all in a war against for nearly thirty years."

"And we have found evidence that the leaders of Panem are San'Shyuum disguising themselves using a Forerunner artifact that allows the user to send out a minor neurological manipulation wave to give the illuson of being something - or in this case, someone - that they aren't," Christopher picked upfrom where Pagos had left off.

"From what our intelligence tells us, the Covenant Loyalists established a base on this planet nearly seventy-five years ago, give or take, and fought a battel against the colonists. By the end of that battle, the Loyalists had won and used another piece of Forerunner technology to alter the memories of the colonists, making them believe that it had been an internal battle between your Capitol and your Districts," Pagos resumed, the image of the Hierarchbeing replaced with a scene of Loyalist soldierss annihilating the humans and Sangheili that had settled upon the planet.

"And now we have information that the Prophet of Humility, the Hierarch in charge of the Loyalists in this system, has been using the Hunger Games to build up a new army for the Covenant by taking those that die and mutating them into beasts, such as the ones that you had to face at the end of your time in the arena," Christopher continued, just to pause as a man in a blue pinstripe suit and red Converse and a blonde woman wearing a bizarre outfit with an image of a flag that Katniss didn't recognize (*coughcough*British*coughcough*) rushed past, the man waving at Christopher, wao waved in return with a muttered, "Hey, Doc."

Ignoring the moment with the strange couple, Katniss looked between the two people once more and asked, "Where do I fit into all of this?"

"Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire. You have become a symbol of hope, that there is a chance to set things right. You are a beacon that others look to with the belief that you could help lead all of Panem into a new era of prosperity, where all will be safe and never again have to fear if they will be the next to go into the Games, if they will be forced to prepare a funeral or memorial for their son or daughter," Christopher said, his voice low at first but slowly gaining in volume, "Katniss Everdeen, we are asking you to join the UNSC in the fight against the Covenant and lead your people to a time of peace."

At the end of Christopher's speech, Katniss just sat there staring at the super soldier with a dumbstruck look on her face as she absorbed everything that she had just been told and what had been asked of her. To be an icon for the people, to give them hope of freedom from the tyrony of the Capitol and the Hunger Games, escape from the confinment of the walls and fences and finally do as they wished with their life, and not just what was demanded of their District. Perhaps she oculd even talk them into letting her assist in any combat that they would find themselves in. And the moer she thought about it, the more it seemed like the right thing to do, as though she was destined to be the one to help lead the people of Panem into the future and rediscover the rest of the universe and the UNSC.

After jsut a moment more of thought Katniss nodded and said, "I'm in, as long as I am included in everything that you plan and do."

"Deal," Christopher nodded, holding out a hand to the young woman.

The two shook hands then took a step back, looking one another in the eye... and it was then that she noticed that his eyes were not any color she may have thought before, but actually a silver color that seemed to reflect the light of the dome, yet gleamed with an inner light of their own. The strange coloring drew her in and intrigued her, and she wondered at how one could have eyes as pure and silver as his. But before she could think any further on those strange eyes a beeping from Christopher's waist pierced her thoughts and returned her to reality, and he pulled out a small box that he looked at before pressing a button or something on it and holding it up to his ear.

"Red Leader, here. Go ahead, Delta Leader," Christopher said into the box, which Katniss realized was a phone, "Phase Theta is a go, tell the fleet to prepare two squadrons per District to be launched upon signal."

Pagos stood beside Katniss and placed a hand upon her shoulder, gently smiling and motioning for her to follow her. The AI led the young woman over tot he other side of the dome, where she spoke in hushed tones, like a conspirital whisper.

With a deep sigh Christopher ended the call and shook his head, gripping the cell phone tightly in his hand as he started pacing back and forth. His mind was filled with thoughts of the many things that could possibly go wrong, problems with the Slipspace ruptures, a clot in the fuel line of one of the fighters, a hanger bay door not opening, and countless other things that could possibly cause a backup or disturbance of some kind.

And Christopher's thoughts continued along this line until they were interrupted by a beeping from the phone clenched in his hand. The SPARTAN brought the small decice up to his ear and his eyes suddenly went wide at the sound of a very familiar voice that he hadn't heard in three years. A smile spread across his face as he said, "It's been too long, Colonel."

"Far too long, General," the female voice on the other end repied, "And the rest of Copper team has been gathered, as well, just for you... Copper Leader".

"Olivia, my dear, old friend, I have missed having you by my side," Christopher said, "When will the team arrive?"

"We are ready to be deployed wherever, whenever, Chris," Olivia said, "just give the order and we will be there."

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**Once again, I apologize for the delay. But here is chapter five, and I hope that you have enjoyed it and that what I have revealed goes over well. R&R please! Thank you.**


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